Living Homeless
by oathk33p3r
Summary: His father died five years ago and his mom is an alcoholic. Finally, Sora decides to abandon his life and live on his own. Living without a home, it's hard, but after meeting THAT girl, it doesn't seem so bad.
1. o n e

**Living Homeless**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Disney nor Kingdom Hearts.**

**Author's Notes: **I accidentally replaced this chapter with the first chapter of "Fatherless." Due to the fact that I had to start from scratch, the beginning is a bit different, but I think it's for the better. Expect more revisions!

**ONE**

He was expelled. Just like that.

The school remarked that his performance was poor regarding the fact that he was tardy every single day, and that he dozed off in class.

Sora didn't even bother arguing with the administrator. He simply picked up his empty backpack and walked home.

He was now in front of the doorstep—he didn't know if he could call it _his _doorstep. After taking a deep breath and exhaling all the bad thoughts, all the stress, and all the crap that basically happened in his life, he finally walked inside.

The door was unlocked as he expected.

And the woman he called mother was slumped over the dinner table. She was in the same exact position as she was this morning.

The only light in the room was a crack in the window curtains, letting a bit of the sun peek inside the kitchen. Its rays bounced off the empty bottles piled in the sink and the shattered glass shards littering the floors.

"Mom, I'm home."

Sora was actually surprised that she stirred awake and looked at him through the curtain of her chestnut curls.

"Mom…"

Sora's eyes flicked around the woman's surroundings to see what might have caused her to act differently. Bottle in hand. Check. Rolls in her hair. Check. Bathrobe barely hanging onto her thin shoulders. Check.

Then he saw the item out of place.

The house phone was in her hand.

"They called me. You're expelled," she slurred. She stiffly got up and nearly stumbled to the floor as she tried facing her only son.

"Are you trying to follow your old man? Is that what you're trying to do?" she accused. "Are you going to ditch school and then leave me?"

Sora backed up towards the only exit out of this place, clutching the straps of his backpack.

Then she erupted.

"Get out! Now! I don't need you, you piece of shit."

Usually, he calmed her down by saying the nicest things a son could say, but today his body didn't seem to want to respond. Because his mom had a broken bottle in one hand, and it seemed as though she was ready to pierce it into his heart.

He started by saying "Mom." It sounded like a desperate plea.

"GET OUT!" she roared.

And with that, she chucked the bottle at Sora's face. It barely grazed his cheek, because by then, he was already out the door.

Sora was used to walking late at night. He was even used to sleeping on a park bench. At least, that's what he tried telling himself as he shifted uncomfortably on a plastic one at the nearby park.

The truth was he didn't know what to do or where to go. For the past five years, he had lived in fear of his home and in disgust of his school. He had no friends—he didn't want any. Having some would only make him even more dependent than he already pathetically is.

But now he was having regrets. He had absolutely no place to go, and he knew the alcoholic woman meant what she said. She didn't want him back. She didn't even want him in the first place. Every day, she had to remind Sora that he was an accident and that he shouldn't have existed in the first place.

And so Sora assumed this was a postponed abortion that was finally executed 17 years later.

Sora got up and put his face in his hands. His thumb brushed against the cut on his cheek, smearing blood across his face. He sighed and wondered why she missed.

"Hey."

Startled, Sora looked up to be greeted by a teen his age.

"You out?"

It was an odd question. A vague question. So Sora gave a shrug.

"Are you out of your house?"

This time, a tilt of the head.

The teen looked exasperated.

"Do you need a place to say?"

This time, Sora nodded.

He didn't know why he didn't answer the boy with words. He wasn't mute. He could talk. But then he realized that the only person he had talked to over the past five years was his mom.

"Come with me," the teen said.

Sora eyed the stranger. He had a ragged beanie covering his dirty blonde hair, and rags hung onto his thin body. Yet his fierce blue eyes seemed to fill him with a sort of richness, a sort of power. It was those eyes that Sora surrendered his trust to as he got up and followed them.

"I'm Dusti," he said.

Sora didn't bother telling him his own name, because Dusti hadn't asked.

"Alright, let's go home," he said.

Dusti led him through the park and through a few streets until they arrived in front of an abandoned school. Sora didn't even know this place existed, because it was conveniently hidden behind a band of crooked trees and a mini landfill that started to pile up after the small town had started growing into a bigger city.

The abandoned school wasn't abandoned at all. What seemed to be nearly a hundred people were sleeping in individual cardboard boxes. The place was organized in a way that made Sora think that this was some sort of military camp.

The two quietly shuffled past the sleeping bodies until they were out on the other side. It appeared to be the school's back lot.

There was a fireplace blazing in the center with a couple people around it—a young man with flaming orange hair and a girl who was playing with knives. Both had a bored expression in common. It didn't look like they were trying to fight the cold or wishing they were somewhere else. No, they looked like they were lounging.

When Sora arrived, they barely looked up.

"Hey Wakka, Yuffie," Dusti greeted.

"Hey Tidus," Yuffie said back, not too enthusiastically.

Dusti glanced at Sora and then glared at Yuffie.

"It's Dusti," he hissed.

"Right, Dusti," Yuffie repeated, her attention focused more on her knives than on either of the incomers.

Wakka was a bit more friendly about it.

"Sorry, brudda. It's going to take us a while to get used to it," he said apologetically. He stood up and walked over to Sora.

"My name is Wakka. It's not an onomatopoeia—it means watah, so donget mixed up, ya?"

"I don't see the point in you telling him that if he's not going to stay anyway," Yuffie mumbled.

Wakka turned to Yuffie, a frown forming on his muscular face.

"Be nice, Yuffie," he said.

The girl rolled her eyes and reluctantly stood up. She stuck out a hand a bit sarcastically and said "My name is Yuffie, and I am very much pleased to meet you." Yuffie sat right back down and went back to practicing with her knives.

Wakka wrapped a bare arm around Sora's shoulders and whispered "Don't mind Yuffie. She's still sore by the brudda she had feelings for. He left a month after staying here because a cousin of his found him."

Yuffie glared at Wakka and looked like she was about to chuck one of her weapons at him. After a few beats of silence, she said "It's only right that you introduce yourself."

Sora blinked. It's been so long since he'd exchanged such formal greetings, and he was doing it with complete strangers—homeless strangers.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I'm Sora. Thanks for taking me in, I guess."


	2. t w o

**Living Homeless**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Disney nor Kingdom Hearts.**

**Author's Notes: **This chapter has been revised on 6/23/10

**TWO**

_Why won't you still look at me?_

**THE **sun shined through the windowless frames of the abandoned school. People here and there were slowly waking up, folding up their boxes and piling them up on the sides of the room.

The brunette was still half asleep, and couldn't help but think why it was so warm in the middle of winter—even if he was indeed inside a building. But the strange thing was, only the left side of his body was warm and something _fluffy _was brushing against his bare arms.

Sora peeled open an eye and stared at the mass of black and white fur rubbing against his body.

"What the-" Sora, now fully awake, sat up and backed against the small box.

Two hazel eyes looked back at him, twinkling. It was a _dog_. It was a medium sized female canine with white fur covered with patches of black. The tender, soft looking ears drooped down and her tongue was lolling out of the side of her mouth, which was curled up like it was suppose to be a smile.

"Ruff." The dog gave a slight bark and gave a wag of her tail.

"Nice doggy. Good girl." Sora defensively raised up both arms.

"Dawn!"

Sora poked his head out of the box. It was Dusti.

The dog started to whimper eagerly as it dashed out of Sora's box and ran towards Dusti.

"There you are. What were you doing in Sora's room?" Dusti knelt down next to the dog and gave it a pat.

Sora crawled out of the stuffy box and stretched his back, which was aching from the cold hard floor.

"Good mornin'. Did you sleep well?" Dusti grinned.

Sora gave a mere shrug as he started folding up his box like the others.

"Don't worry; you'll get used to it. Wanna go get food with me and Dawn? We already ran out."

The dog thumped her tail as she recognized her name within the other mush of words.

"Sure," Sora said hesitantly.

"It's not all that difficult. With a face like that, I'm sure you can play "Little Innocent Boy"." Dusti nudged Sora hard on the ribs and tucked his gloved fingers under what was supposed to be Dawn's collar and gave it a pull.

"C'mon, let's go before Yuffie gets mad at me again," Dusti called out over his shoulder as he walked down the stairs and disappeared.

Dusti led Sora out of the abandoned school house and down a road that Sora knew would lead to the marketplace. Despite the rapid developments of Sora's society, the marketplace still had a somewhat primitive air to it that Sora appreciated.

Once they were at the border of the end of the road and the entrance of the market, Dusti stopped.

"Okay now, this is what you'll have to do: stay here until I whistle. Then, run around gathering the food on the floor, helping the ladies. You'll know what to do next on your own." Dusti gave him a pat on the back and looked at Dawn.

"Now girl, you know what to do." Dusti grinned.

Giving a wag of her tail, the miniature cow ran through the vendors and tents, ripping through everything. Watermelons, peaches, apples, and other colorful fruit rolled onto the floor, getting bruised and split opened. All the market people were on their hands and knees, quickly gathering their products before it would get damaged any further. That's when Dusti let off into a sprint, chasing after Dawn.

"Get over here you damn dog! How dare you take my lunch away from me!" Dusti shook his fist and carefully avoided the food and continued to chase after Dawn, who looked like she was in heaven.

"I said come over here!"

And Dusti whistled.

At first, Sora didn't know what to do. Everything happened so fast. Dog runs, food falls, Dusti runs, and then he whistles.

A second whistle brought his senses back and he ran towards the nearest lady gathering her oranges.

"I'll help you," Sora said uncertainly.

The stout lady looked up at him and gave him a smile full of yellow, crooked teeth.

"My _dear_ boy. How sweet you are." She stood up with some difficulty, her forehead glistening with sweat and her huge bosom heaving.

Sora quickly gathered the bruised oranges and piled them into the knocked stands. From the corner of his eyes he was able to see Dusti angrily dragging Dawn and pretending to tie her next to a light pole. Then, he started helping the other market people as well.

"Boy, here, have some oranges."

Sora looked up at the woman and gave a small smile.

"Thank you."

"No, no, my boy. No need to thank me. In fact, take as much as you want. I don't know who else would've helped poor little me" She waddled under her shade and grabbed a few more plastic bags.

"Oh no, that wouldn't be necessary." Sora said, guilt rushing over him.

"No, I insist."

Sora gulped and looked at the rows of oranges. Was that all she sold? The pang pulling at his stomach told him he couldn't hold it any longer. He quickly took the bags and filled them up to the brim with oranges. He was only able to manage carrying two bags, so he quickly thanked the lady and walked towards the road back home. He grinned when he saw Dusti come with four bags filled with apples, bananas, and other fruits and bread that could help them last two whole weeks. Dawn was right at his heels.

"Wow, with your help, we were able to get two more bags." Dusti's sapphire eyes gleamed.

"Don't you feel guilty about this?" Sora asked as he took one of the bags from Dusti to help him out.

"Well, I did at first, but I was able to ignore it after a while. Those people back there have enough to eat anyway."

The two walked on in silence, the bags getting heavier by the minute.

Sora looked up at the clouds and let out a sigh. Just yesterday, he was at school, eating gray lunches given by the lady in the hair net. And today? He was stealing oranges and carrying them off in recycled plastic bags.

"Do you use to trick everyday?" Sora asked.

Dusti glanced at him and smirked.

"You're not as quiet as you appeared, are you?" he chuckled. "No, only once or twice a month. Next is the car. You see, we go to the park right? Then we look for a girl that looks rich and has a parent guardian next to her. That's when we-"

Dusti went on excitedly as Sora just nodded, not a word being comprehended. But he was glad when Dusti got all excited like this. It was better hearing that condescending tone of his.

Finally, they reached their destination. Slightly groaning, Sora placed the three heavy bags on the top of the "refrigerator".

To Sora's surprise, all the other people were gone. Only Yuffie and Wakka were around the dead pile of logs.

"Where did everybody go?"

"Oh, you mean those other folks? Most of them are only travelers. That is, people who travel but are like us. Ya know, homeless and all." Wakka tore a piece of stale looking jerky with his teeth.

"Yeah, it's only the five of us: You, me, Wakka, Dusti and Dawn. Those people come only once in a while for food. You see, we're pretty lucky ya know? With the clever Dusti, we're lucky enough to eat everyday." Yuffie's smile was still stretched on her face as she ruffled Dawn's matted fur. Sora learned that Dawn really was the only thing that could make her smile.

Sora concluded that the abandoned school played as a sort of hotel for nomads.

"This is great," Yuffie commented as she sorted through the food that would probably keep them going for a month. She picked out an orange and threw it towards Wakka.

Dusti grabbed an apple and thrust it into Sora's hand.

"C'mon, let's sit."

The four of them sat around the pile of burnt logs as they bit into their fruits.

"So Tidus, tell us where you found Sora," Wakka said goodheartedly.

Dusti threw Wakka a dangerous look.

"Stop that, Wakka."

The orange-head shook his head, "Sorry, brudda. I keep forgetting."

Sora quietly bit into his apple and stared at the floor, trying to act like he didn't hear anything.

"Dusti changed his name a while ago," Yuffie said, answering Sora's unsaid question.

"Yuffie," Dusti hissed.

Yuffie leaned on her hand and glared at him.

"He should know if he's going to stay."

Dusti held onto Yuffie's glare for a few more seconds, then finally sighed in defeat.

"I changed it to forget my past life. That's all. I want to forget everything. I want to start fresh. Is that good enough?" Dusti angrily stuffed the rest of the banana in his mouth and got up.

"Alright, we gotta go. It's time to get money, Sora. Let's go." Dusti grabbed the collar of Sora's shirt and patted his thigh to get Dawn to come along.

As soon as Dusti left Wakka and Yuffie, he seemed to have completely forgotten that he even told Sora about his name.

"We lost a lot of our food and money from those travelers. So it's time to fill up our bank again. Remember that car method I was talking about? That's what we're gonna do, 'kay?"

Sora soon found himself at the park from last night. It struck him that he's been here several times when he was on the run, but he never came here for his own entertainment. Right now was the same; he didn't come here to play.

"Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up and look for somebody who's afraid of dogs. You can tell if they're avoiding the other mutts walking around here." Dusti whispered.

Absentmindedly, Sora looked around. Here and there, kids were playing around with Frisbees and baseballs. Some of the toddlers were sitting in the sand box throwing sand at each other and laughing at a poor little girl with pig tails.

Averting his gaze from the little children, he looked around some more and they landed on a slender figure bending over the little kid with pigtails.

And that's how he first saw her. The girl that was soon to change his life forever no mother how cliché it sounds.

Never in his life did Sora hold some sort of special interest for girls. His life was all about surviving the day he turned 13, and before that, he hadn't even hit puberty yet. Little did he know that many girls tended to catch a glimpse of him in the hallways, and even more started an unsaid competition of who could get him to talk to them. Of course, Sora could have cared less about the estrogen-filled teens batting their eyes at him. But this girl was different. Her smile curled in the most adoring way and her dimples were perfectly on each side. Her hair fell down on to her shoulders, which was the most beautiful hue of red. Though she was scolding the boys for throwing sand at the little crying girl, her face held softness that Sora was not used to. Softness that didn't exist in his life.

Dusti followed Sora's gaze and whistled.

"Man, she's one of them rich folks all right. Let's go get her."

Sora only stood there, dazed. He finally came to his senses when he heard barking and a mixture of giggles and screaming.

And to his dismay, Dawn was running straight towards the auburn hair girl.


	3. t h r e e

**Living Homeless**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Disney nor Kingdom Hearts.**

**Author's Notes: **This chapter has been revised on 6/23/10

**THREE**

**Sora** gulped as he waited in the shadows of the crooked tree to see what would become of that girl. The laughter of children from the playground was muffled by the cool breeze that blew through the park. He glanced at Dusti nervously and back at the girl.

Dawn was a good dog, but she got rough at times, and she had sharp teeth, too.

"Don't worry, Dawn won't hurt anybody," Dusti whispered as if he read Sora's mind.

Even so, Sora couldn't look as Dawn approached the girl.

"AHHH!" a squeal burst through the park.

The brunette gasped and poked his head from behind the crooked tree. He sighed when he learned that it was only that little girl with pig tails. A woman who appeared to be her mom pulled her by the hand and took her to a bench a few yards away.

Dusti frowned.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked.

The blonde shook his head and pointed at Dawn and the girl.

Sora glanced to where he was pointing and couldn't help smiling.

"Oh, you're so _sweet._ Where did you come from? You look exactly like a dog I kept back home."

The girl was scratching Dawn behind the ears and crooning as if she were a drooling infant.

"This is not what was supposed to happen! Aren't most girls scared of dogs?" Dusti turned to Sora angrily as if it was his fault.

"She was supposed to get scared and run around screaming her head off and _we_ were supposed to rescue her. Then, she would go "Oh, thank you. Is there anything I can do?" and we'll go "oh, there's nothing, but oh my, I'm so hungry" and she would've given us food or munny!" Dusti shouted as he kicked a nearby tree in frustration. A glob of spit came shooting out his mouth and landed disgustingly on the grass.

Sora only stared at him, afraid that he might make Dusti even angrier by answering.

"You know what? Screw this," Dusti said as he walked towards the girl.

The brunette reluctantly followed him with his hands buried deep in his pockets.

"Hey, lady! That's my dog," Dusti said darkly.

The girl looked up at him with lavender eyes. Dawn was looking at her as if she were the holiest thing on earth.

"Yeah you, that's my dog," Dusti repeated.

Sora couldn't help but be surprised as the girl's friendly expression molded into a wrinkled scowl.

"Then take care of her better! I mean, _look _at the poor thing! She's just fur and bones! And what do you say? "Oh, she's my dog." Well, if she really _is_ your dog, treat her with respect. You are her owner, master, and friend. Friends don't starve each other," the girl shouted at Dusti.

Dusti gave her an amused look then took off his beanie. He ran his gloved hand through his tangled, dirty blonde hair and placed the beanie back on his head. Sora only knew Dusti for a day, but he was able to tell that a few more harsh words would make him burst.

"I'm _so_ sorry that I had to starve my dog. But, look at this."

Sora frowned as Dusti lifted up his shirt and exposed his ribs.

The girl stared at his abdomen, her expression softening a bit.

Dusti pulled his shirt back over his stomach and gave her a cold look.

"I-I'm sorry. I was just so, yeah. I apologize. I didn't know you were a-a home-"

"Yeah, I'm a hobo," Dusti said flatly.

The girl blushed. She averted Dusti's gaze and started to rub Dawn's side instead. Sora knew dogs couldn't smile, but Dawn definitely had a doggish grin on her face and she was giving that smile to the girl with an adoring look. Her tail looked like a rag waving in the air.

"Well, I see that you come from a rather _expensive_ family. So would you mind handing over my starving dog?" Dusti asked.

His voice was restrained and sounded as though he were speaking through gritted teeth.

The girl silently nudged Dawn over to Dusti, but the dog refused and held back. Dusti raised a brow.

"Let's go, girl. We have to go steal some food or something so you won't starve to death," Dusti said, emphasizing the last three words.

But the dog remained firmly by the girl's side and looked defiantly at her owner. Her usual bright amber eyes were sharp and piercing as if saying "No, I'm staying here".

"Come _on,_" Dusti said with more force as he grabbed Dawn by the nape of her neck.

Sora was afraid that Dawn might attack Dusti, but her gentle disposition never seemed to leave her. Instead, she looked back at Kairi with longing in her eyes. It looked like a child being torn apart from her mother.

But as Dawn turned around, the girl's eyes widened and she grabbed onto Dusti's shirt.

"Wait," she said as she knelt next to Dawn and inspected the dog's hind leg.

"Rina?" she said softly as she looked into Dawn's eyes after a few seconds.

Dawn gave a wag of her tail and obediently turned to face her.

"Rina, shake," the girl commanded gently.

Dawn lifted out her paw.

Sora swore she was able to see a tear escape the girl's eyes as a smile appeared on her face.

"Girl, I found you," she cried as she wrapped her arms around Dawn's neck.

The two homeless teens stared at what appeared to be a reunion with confused expressions.

"Whoa whoa whao, what? Rina? Where the heck did _Rina_ come from? You know Dawn?"

The girl nodded without looking up while kissing and cradling Dawn's head. She was whispering inaudible words into her tender ears.

"You can't prove that," Dusti said with doubt in his eyes.

The girl told Dawn to sit and stay as she lifted the dog's hind leg.

"You see that? KN? That's my initial: Kairi Narumi. She is two years old and she is mine by law. I have the paperwork stored at home."

The girl who turned out to be named Kairi stood up and looked at Dusti with a triumphant smile.

"So you have absolutely no right to take her away from me," Kairi said.

Dusti was speechless for a while, but he was a resilient person and quickly gained back his cool.

"Yeah, but I've been taking care of her for almost a year. Shouldn't you give us a thank you gift or something like that?"

Kairi thought for a while, and then looked up at Dusti.

"I'm afraid I don't have any money of my own, but I can give you a job offer. My father's been looking for a messenger," she finally said.

"What? But that's only a job opportunity, not a gift!" Dusti exclaimed.

Kairi shook her head.

"It's not _only_ a job opportunity. We offer a place to stay and a pretty fair salary," Kairi replied firmly.

"Look, _Kairi,_" Dusti said the name as if it was a heavy brick. "I'm worth four people, okay?"

Kairi raised a brow, confused.

Dusti wrapped an arm around Sora's shoulders and brought him closer to his body.

"You see this piece of trash? His name is Sora and he's my brother. I met him just yesterday. And I have a bro and a sis back home, alright?"

Kairi looked at Sora as if she had just noticed that he was standing there throughout the whole conversation. A look of pain and sorrow filled her eyes. Sora could tell that she was more sensible than the average person.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I thought it was just you and Rina…" Kairi trailed off.

"Well, now you know. So, sorry—I can't take that job," Dusti said without a hint of "sorry" in his voice.

The blonde released Sora and turned around to leave. Sora panicked and chased after him.

"Hey! Why don't you just take the job?"

Dusti faced Sora angrily; he was surprised to see the stubborn teen's eyes filled with tears.

"And why would I want to work with somebody who just took my friend away, huh? I never wanna see that brat again," Dusti spat.

Then it hit Sora. It wasn't about the money…it was about Dawn. That's when Sora realized how _happy_ Dusti seemed when he was with that dog. He wasn't keeping Dawn just to use her to steal food. She was his friend, not his tool.

"I'm sorry," Sora murmured.

"Whatever. She's just a dog anyway." Dust quickly wiped away a tear and pulled the beanie over his eyes.

"I'm going home. If you want that job, you be my guest."

"Me?" Sora asked, surprised.

"I don't care anymore. Yuffie, Wakka and I will be like before…just the three of us. You were just kicked out anyway. You're not _really_ homeless; you'll always have your family to go back to even though they hate your guts. Us? No, we don't even have that," Dusti scowled.

Stunned, Sora stared at Dusti with a blank look as he went towards the exit of the park. The brunette dragged his feet to a park bench and sat down, confused.

They were orphans. That's why he called Yuffie and Wakka his brother and sister…

And that's why he hated to see Dawn ripped away from him. He had been in the same situation with his parents.

Sora buried his face in his hands. A home…Dusti changed his name just so he can forget about his parents and his homes.

But Dusti was wrong about one thing. Sora _was_ a homeless. At least, without the other three, he had no place to go.

Feeling like a hopeless idiot, Sora slighty rocked back and forth on the bench, too many thoughts blocking his way to think straight.

"Um, Sora?"

The brunette looked up, surprised. It was Kairi.

"That is your name, right?" the girl made sure, blushing.

"Um, yeah," Sora said, trying to avoid the girl's eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I was wondering what your friend said about the job…I really do want to help," Kairi said with a worried look.

Sora stared at her lavender eyes and nearly gasped before quickly averting them again.

"He told me to take the job," Sora spilled.

It wasn't a total lie. Dusti _did_ tell him he can have the job…

Sora could've sworn that Kairi's eyes would've popped right out of her sockets.

"That's wonderful! Oh my, this is great news. I _assure _you that you'll have enough money by the end of the month that's worth a year of food for your family," Kairi squealed.

Sora flushed and looked down at his shoes, not knowing what to say. A snail was crawling over one of them.

"Thank you," he mumbled, not taking his eyes off the sluggish snail.

Snails were lucky creatures. No matter how far they went, they always had their homes on their backs. At that moment, Sora wished that he was able to somehow transform into a snail and live the rest of his life at a steady pace.

He was so focused on the snail that he didn't notice Kairi handing a card to him.

"This is my address and I hope you can start working by tomorrow. Oh, and don't worry about your clothes or anything, just bring yourself tomorrow at noon," Kairi said with a smile.

Sora looked at the card and his heart fell.

This house…it was in the same district as his.

x.x.x

"Hey Sora!" Wakka greeted Sora warmly.

Sora gave a weary smiled and walked up to him. Yuffie wasn't in her usual spot. Sora wasn't surprised to see that Dusti wasn't either.

"Do you know what happened to Dawn, man?" Wakka asked with his foreign accent. Sora still wasn't able to tell where it came from.

"It's a long story but…she's in a better place now," Sora said hesitantly.

Wakka dropped his battered blitz ball.

"She died? No, this isn't supposed to happen. That's why Dusti was so sad, ya? My, this is terrible news," Wakka said sniffling.

"No, that's not what I meant. What I mean is…well, she found her true owner," Sora said as he picked up the blitz ball that had rolled to his feet.

"Oh, thank God. That's good then, ya?" Wakka chuckled. Sora threw the blitz ball at him, which he caught with one mammoth hand.

"I'm going to go talk to Dusti."

"'K, man."

Sora gulped as he found the box Dusti was sleeping in and peered inside.

"Dusti? I'm sorry about Dawn, but that's how life is. You make friends, you lose them, and you live. You should be happy for her, she found her real owner," Sora said, trying to muster as much sincerity as he could.

"Shut up. Aren't you working for her now?"

Sora flushed with embarrassment.

"Yeah…but I'm doing it for you guys," Sora said.

"Well, _I _don't need it, and I'm sure Yufie and Wakka doesn't either. So just go live on _your_ happy life and don't dare try coming back."

The brunette was taken aback. This wasn't what he expected.

"But then, I'll be doing this for nothing then," Sora argued.

"Then do it for nothing. I don't care anymore. Go away and don't come back until you actually need us," Dusti growled.

Sora let out a long sigh and looked at his friend one more time. He had put his back toward him and pulled the beanie all the way over his eyes. The brunette didn't have anything to say because he was right; he was only staying with Dusti because he needed the bed and the food. Now, he had Kairi and the job. But that didn't mean he didn't need the three friends. He had only known them for a day or two, but they were what he can proudly call his friends. They were also his first, and he didn't want them to be his last.

Getting annoyed himself, Sora got off of his hands and knees and dusted him self off.

"I don't care what you say, Dusti. But I'm getting that money for us."


	4. f o u r

**Living Homeless**

**Author's Notes: **This chapter has been revised on 6/23/10.

* * *

**FOUR**

* * *

"Welcome!"

Sora nodded politely. He wanted to say thank you, but the house sucked all the little confidence he had. Everything about it seemed expensive; the floor, the ceiling, the portraits, the delicate statuettes…even the_ air_ seemed too valuable to breathe.

Sora's eyes flickered back to the manservant, for his massive body covered most of his line of vision. After all, he was _huge_ and the rifle holstered to the side of his belt wasn't very appealing at all. He probably passed six feet and his face was smoothly shaven while his hair was short and spiked into rows of small points with gel.

"You are Mr. Wataya, Master Narumi's new messenger boy?" he boomed, his voice like thunder.

"Y-yes," Sora cracked. He quickly cleared his throat.

The manservant clapped his mammoth hands and two girls in white aprons instantly stood either side of him. Their hair were fixed into tight buns at the top of their heads with a white sash. Their eyes were so attentive that it sent chills down Sora's spine.

"Take this young gentleman to the spare room on the fourth floor," the manservant ordered the maids.

The two girls nodded and before the brunette knew it, he was standing in front of a large, white door.

"We hope you find the room to your liking," the girls said in unison.

Sora blushed with the politeness; after all, he had been an outcast for eighteen years of his life and was never treated so kindly.

Once the girls left, the brunette cautiously opened the door. Despite its size, its lubricated hinges allowed the door to open silently with ease.

He peered inside.

It looked expensive.

Very expensive.

What appeared to be a "spare room" looked more like a small house in Sora's perspective. The large window was wide open, allowing the morning air to fill up the room. A tall refrigerator hummed in one corner while a flat-screened television sat in another, its remote controller with more than enough buttons comfortably sitting in its stand. The brunette's hands shook as he slowly entered the room. He felt so out of place. Just an hour ago, he was too poor to even dream about possessing such luxury.

His soft footsteps echoed across the marble floor as he observed a large oil painting of the town some decades ago. He continued forward until he saw the bed. It was large and white like the rest of the room. Sora smiled as he ran his hand through the ironed sheets and gently punched one of the many pillows.

"Do you like it?"

"Argh!"

The brunette screamed an octave higher than he should've and fell face first onto the bed.

Sora quickly got back up and smiled sheepishly as Kairi giggled.

"Yeah, it's cool I guess," he mumbled.

She was beautiful.

The girl let out another tinkle of laughter and walked over to the bed. She gently sat down and smoothed the wrinkles of the sheets.

"This used to be my sister's room," she said softly.

"What happened?" Sora heard himself say.

Kairi shook her head and smiled. Sora was surprised to see that beyond her translucent eyes, there was some kind of indescribable pain.

"Oh, it's been a while since she's been gone. What was it, seven years? Yes, she was nine. She left with my mother without a word."

Feeling extremely uncomfortable, Sora bit his bottom lip as the girl fingered a piece of string hanging from the end of her skirt.

"I grew up with a single parent as well," Sora murmured. He had no experience in cheering people up, not to mention he's never had a real conversation with a girl either.

"My father passed away, you see," he added, his eyes shifting over to her and then back to his hands.

"Oh, I am extremely sorry, Sora," Kairi said, her brow creased with concern.

Sora blushed furiously. This wasn't what he meant to do.

"No, no! He left our home before he died, so I guess it's not that bad…"

Sora felt that it would be best to shut up and stay quiet. It was what he was good at anyway.

Luckily for Sora, he was interrupted as the door to the room banged open, opposed to the way Kairi had quiety entered the room earlier.

"Hey, baby! I finally found you."

Sora raised a brow as a tall, handsome, young man strolled across the room towards Kairi. Catching the sight of Sora in the corner of his aquamarine eyes, he deliberately wrapped his arm around the girl's waist and pulled her into a kiss.

The brunette tried not to look, but it was hard to do so when a stranger was pressing his lips against a girl's when she obviously didn't like it.

Kairi finally managed to pull away from the man's grasp and gasped. She averted Sora's gaze, her face red with embarrassment.

The brunette turned to the man instead, who was giving him a rather smug look.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you. Who's this, Kairi?" the man smirked as he wrapped his arm around the girl.

"He's the new messenger, Riku," Kairi mumbled before pulling away from him.

"Ah, I see." Riku turned to Sora and held out his large hand.

"I'm Riku, Kairi's fiancé," he said smoothly. He had emphasized the word _fiancé_ as if it were a position fit for a king.

Sora's heart sunk as he felt his arm being shook by the man before him.

_Fiancé? _

"Riku, shut up," Kairi muttered, giving him an evil glare, all trace of warmth gone from before.

Riku turned to her. Sora gasped inwardly as he saw a gleam of anger, but it quickly settled and was replaced by a warm chuckle.

"You must be tired, dear. Let's go eat now. We don't want to bother Sora's first day here." He wrapped his arm around a fuming Kairi and practically dragged her to the exit.

Kairi gave Sora an apologetic look before the white door closed with a soft click behind her.

The brunette sighed and fell back onto the bed, his eyes slightly closed. So, Kairi was engaged? And he thought his life was getting a bit better.

x.x.x

Sora rubbed the back of his head as he strolled down the long hallways of the Narumi estate. It was amazingly large and was a complete labyrinth, winding this way and that, leading to various doors that seemed to spring out of the ground. One of the maids in aprons had come by the brunette's room and told him he was to go to the kitchen for his lunch by twelve.

It was now twelve-thirty, and he couldn't find the kitchen.

Sora let out a loud, exasperated sigh as he came to a stop. He listened to it echo through the hallway, an eerie sensation settling over him.

A heavy uncomfortable silence replaced the air as soon as he couldn't hear his sigh anymore.

"Sir?"

"Ah!"

Sora stumbled backwards and fell onto his elbows. He winced in pain and looked up.

A pair of green orbs returned his glance, blinking in surprise.

"A-are you ok, sir?"

It was a maid.

_Just a maid._

Sora nodded as he started to get up, only to realize that his right arm was throbbing and felt like fire against his skin. A drop of blood splattered on the white, marble floor. He cringed as the girl jumped and ran towards him.

"Oh, no! I am terribly sorry! I'll get a nurse right away!"

The maid frantically clutched her apron and sprinted down the hall, her shoes furiously clunking against the floor.

Sora's eyes widened.

"No! It's okay! Come back here!"

The maid slowed down and peered back, her eyes filled with tears. She hesitated and then reluctantly walked back to Sora.

"I'm sorry, sir," she mumbled, twisting a lock of brown hair with her fingers and staring at her shoes.

"No, don't be. I was just a bit frightened, that's all," Sora said reassuringly. "And the name's Sora."

The maid nodded.

"Is there anything I can help with, Sora sir?"

Sora let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed his arm, the pain becoming a dull throb now.

"Please drop the sir, and I'll appreciate it if you took me to the kitchen."

The girl smiled as if she finally found something she can do.

"Right this way!"

"Thanks…uh…"

Sora stared at the maid, waiting for her to reply.

The girl looked back at him, her head cocked to one side.

"Yes?"

"What's your name?"

"Olette," the girl replied, smiling.

"Thanks, Olette," Sora finished.

The girl nodded and made a small curtsy. She folded her hands in front of her apron (a bit greyer than the other maids) and started to lead the way.

x.x.x

"I'm sure it was this way…"

"I think we're lost."

The maid jerked her head around and a flash of anger and annoyance crossed her face.

"I don't need your rude comments right now; let me _concentrate_."

The brunette had stopped adding the _sir_ after every single sentence after the two have been roaming around the house for a good fifty minutes.

Sora raised a brow as he leaned against the white walls, amused by the maid's "concentrating" expression. Her hair, which was supposed to be tied up in a bun like the other maids, was loose and wavy, framing her small face. Her emerald eyes were veiled, shutting her brain from the outside world. After several minutes, a smile spread across her face as she turned to Sora.

"I know what happened."

Sora nodded, urging her to go on.

"We are on the fourth floor right now, right?" she said excitedly.

The brunette nodded again.

"Well, the kitchen is on the _second_ floor," she concluded.

Sora's shoulder sagged and his mouth dropped open.

"Second floor? You're telling me that we've been walking around for an hour, looking for a room that was two floors below us?"

Olette nodded, her face dead serious. Sora would've laughed if it wasn't for this current situation.

"Yes."

Sora ran his hand through his hair, only to trigger another shock of pain through his elbow to the tip of his fingers.

"Let's go. Where's the elevator?"

Olette looked at Sora, her eyes wide.

"We have an elevator?"

x.x.x

The two brunettes were finally able to locate the hidden kitchen and sat themselves down on the various stools, tuckered out.

"Olette, you're new, huh?" Sora asked, panting.

The girl nodded, too tired to speak.

Sora searched for a clock and found a white simple one above the maid's head. The hands indicated that it was a quarter to three.

Impossible.

Olette caught Sora's confused expression and her face fell as well. She rubbed her head as she walked over to the clock and took it off the wall. She moved the hand an hour back and hooked it back onto its nail. She looked at Sora and smiled sheepishly.

"Daylight saving time started days ago, right?"

"There you guys are!"

Sora turned around to see Kairi walk into the kitchen. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a normal t-shirt, nearly not as elegant as the skirt and blouse she had on earlier.

"Hello, _mistress_." Olette bowed.

Sora couldn't help but catch a rather poking tone in Olette's voice.

Kairi giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Olette, stop that."

The brunette giggled and gave Kairi a bear hug.

"I was just _kidding_," Olette said cheerfully.

Kairi caught Sora's confused expression and smiled.

"Olette's a friend of mine. She's staying here while her parents are making a documentary in Hollow Bastion, and she insisted on helping out."

_That explains a lot_.

Olette nodded.

"You probably I thought I was mentally challenged or something, huh?"

Sora rubbed the back of his head and a guilty smile adorned his lips. That's when Kairi noticed his injured elbow.

"Sora! What happened to you?"

The boy looked at his arm, and raised a brow. The blood had dried up, but drops of red were still seeping through.

"Hold on, let me get you a band-aid; lunch can wait."

Kairi got up, ready to leave. Olette quickly stopped her friend with a light touch on the wrist.

"No, I'll go get it."

The cheery atmosphere in the warm kitchen immediately disappeared as the bright girl left the room.

Sora, feeling rather awkward, cleared his throat and looked at Kairi.

"What school do you go to?" he asked.

While finding the kitchen with Olette for nearly an hour, he had decided to break out of his shell and try being initiative for once in his life.

Kairi smiled.

"I'm home-schooled."

"Oh."

Obviously, this whole initiative thing was going to take a while.

Sora scowled to himself and decided to look down at his shoes. To his horror, they were filthy.

"Yeah, I'm never really out."

Sora glanced up at her.

"What about that one time at the park?"

"That was like a once in a lifetime thing." Kairi chuckled. Then her eyes turned wide.

"Oh! Rina!"

The brunette raised a brow.

"Rina?"

"Arf!"

Sora whipped his head around and cracked into a smile as the small cow-like dog bounded towards him and jumped onto his lap.

"Dawn!" Sora blurted out.

The canine seemed to smile as she furiously wagged her tail and gave her previous master's friend a couple of her trademark kisses.

"Aww, I missed you, girl!"

Sora ruffled Dawn's, now Rina, fur with his good hand and was surprised to find it silky smooth. She also bore a silver collar with her name engraved in elegant letters. Small, precious jewels were also pounded into the collar. He was able to recognize an emerald, ruby, diamond, and a sapphire. With his small knowledge with stones, he wasn't able to recall the names of the other five rounded jewels. Sora turned to Kairi, who seemed pleasantly surprised to see how much joy her dog was bringing to the boy.

"Wow, this must have cost a fortune."

Slightly flushing red, Kairi let out a small laugh.

"Actually, it was a present from Riku. To tell you the truth, I think it's rather comical."

Kairi opened her arms to let Rina come skipping to her.

"She's like a little clown with that goofy grin of hers and that awful collar."

As if on cue, Olette came crashing into the kitchen and sent a couple of pans rolling down the aisles of bread and pastries.

"I got the kit!"

She ran towards Sora and smiled, beaming with pride.

"I got it on my first try, too!"

Kairi carefully took the first-aid kit from Olette's small hands and snapped it open. She took out a bottle of ointment and a couple of band-aids.

"Did you sprain your wrist, too?"

Kairi had already taken out a long strip of cloth before he was able to answer.

Sora's face flushed and his heart started to race as her soft fingers felt around his wrist. He silently watched Kairi as she quickly fixed up the brunette's cuts and bounded his wrist tightly.

"Okay, now that's settled, let's eat!"

The three turned towards the large table-like island in the kitchen and sat on the tall stools. Sora hadn't noticed how hungry he was as Olette set a tray of bread and steaming soup in front of him.

"Hee hee, you like Kairi, huh?" the brunette whispered in Sora's ear before setting off to get her own share of food.

Sora dropped his spoon with a clatter and stared at Olette in surprise.

Olette rolled her eyes and smiled as she sat next to Kairi.

The only male of the trio frowned and picked up his spoon again. Living with that brown-haired girl will be no easy matter.

**Living Homeless**

**Author's Notes: **I have absolutely no excuse. I am terribly sorry...this is very difficult without using face expressions. But seriously, I will make it up to you guys!

* * *

**FOUR**

* * *

"Welcome!"

Sora nodded politely. He wanted to say thank you, but the house sucked all the little confidence he had. Everything about it seemed expensive; the floor, the ceiling, the portraits, the delicate statuettes…even the_ air_ seemed too valuable to breathe.

Sora's eyes flickered back to the manservant, for his massive body covered most of his line of vision. After all, he was _huge_ and the rifle holstered to the side of his belt wasn't very appealing at all. He probably passed six feet and his face was smoothly shaven while his hair was short and spiked into rows of small points with gel.

"You are Mr. Wataya, Master Narumi's new messenger boy?" he boomed, his voice like thunder.

"Y-yes," Sora cracked. He quickly cleared his throat.

The manservant clapped his mammoth hands and two girls in white aprons instantly stood either side of him. Their hair were fixed into tight buns at the top of their heads with a white sash. Their eyes were so attentive that it sent chills down Sora's spine.

"Take this young gentleman to the spare room on the fourth floor," the manservant ordered the maids.

The two girls nodded and before the brunette knew it, he was standing in front of a large, white door.

"We hope you find the room to your liking," the girls said in unison.

Sora blushed with the politeness; after all, he had been an outcast for eighteen years of his life and was never treated so kindly.

Once the girls left, the brunette cautiously opened the door. Despite its size, its lubricated hinges allowed the door to open silently with ease.

He peered inside.

It looked expensive.

Very expensive.

What appeared to be a "spare room" looked more like a small house in Sora's perspective. The large window was wide open, allowing the morning air to fill up the room. A tall refrigerator hummed in one corner while a flat-screened television sat in another, its remote controller with more than enough buttons comfortably sitting in its stand. The brunette's hands shook as he slowly entered the room. He felt so out of place. Just an hour ago, he was too poor to even dream about possessing such luxury.

His soft footsteps echoed across the marble floor as he observed a large oil painting of the town some decades ago. He continued forward until he saw the bed. It was large and white like the rest of the room. Sora smiled as he ran his hand through the ironed sheets and gently punched one of the many pillows.

"Do you like it?"

"Argh!"

The brunette screamed an octave higher than he should've and fell face first onto the bed.

Sora quickly got back up and smiled sheepishly as Kairi giggled.

"Yeah, it's cool I guess," he mumbled.

She was beautiful.

The girl let out another tinkle of laughter and walked over to the bed. She gently sat down and smoothed the wrinkles of the sheets.

"This used to be my sister's room," she said softly.

"What happened?" Sora heard himself say.

Kairi shook her head and smiled. Sora was surprised to see that beyond her translucent eyes, there was some kind of indescribable pain.

"Oh, it's been a while since she's been gone. What was it, seven years? Yes, she was nine. She left with my mother without a word."

Feeling extremely uncomfortable, Sora bit his bottom lip as the girl fingered a piece of string hanging from the end of her skirt.

"I grew up with a single parent as well," Sora murmured. He had no experience in cheering people up, not to mention he's never had a real conversation with a girl either.

"My father passed away, you see," he added, his eyes shifting over to her and then back to his hands.

"Oh, I am extremely sorry, Sora," Kairi said, her brow creased with concern.

Sora blushed furiously. This wasn't what he meant to do.

"No, no! He left our home before he died, so I guess it's not that bad…"

Sora felt that it would be best to shut up and stay quiet. It was what he was good at anyway.

Luckily for Sora, he was interrupted as the door to the room banged open, opposed to the way Kairi had quiety entered the room earlier.

"Hey, baby! I finally found you."

Sora raised a brow as a tall, handsome, young man strolled across the room towards Kairi. Catching the sight of Sora in the corner of his aquamarine eyes, he deliberately wrapped his arm around the girl's waist and pulled her into a kiss.

The brunette tried not to look, but it was hard to do so when a stranger was pressing his lips against a girl's when she obviously didn't like it.

Kairi finally managed to pull away from the man's grasp and gasped. She averted Sora's gaze, her face red with embarrassment.

The brunette turned to the man instead, who was giving him a rather smug look.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you. Who's this, Kairi?" the man smirked as he wrapped his arm around the girl.

"He's the new messenger, Riku," Kairi mumbled before pulling away from him.

"Ah, I see." Riku turned to Sora and held out his large hand.

"I'm Riku, Kairi's fiancé," he said smoothly. He had emphasized the word _fiancé_ as if it were a position fit for a king.

Sora's heart sunk as he felt his arm being shook by the man before him.

_Fiancé? _

"Riku, shut up," Kairi muttered, giving him an evil glare, all trace of warmth gone from before.

Riku turned to her. Sora gasped inwardly as he saw a gleam of anger, but it quickly settled and was replaced by a warm chuckle.

"You must be tired, dear. Let's go eat now. We don't want to bother Sora's first day here." He wrapped his arm around a fuming Kairi and practically dragged her to the exit.

Kairi gave Sora an apologetic look before the white door closed with a soft click behind her.

The brunette sighed and fell back onto the bed, his eyes slightly closed. So, Kairi was engaged? And he thought his life was getting a bit better.

x.x.x

Sora rubbed the back of his head as he strolled down the long hallways of the Narumi estate. It was amazingly large and was a complete labyrinth, winding this way and that, leading to various doors that seemed to spring out of the ground. One of the maids in aprons had come by the brunette's room and told him he was to go to the kitchen for his lunch by twelve.

It was now twelve-thirty, and he couldn't find the kitchen.

Sora let out a loud, exasperated sigh as he came to a stop. He listened to it echo through the hallway, an eerie sensation settling over him.

A heavy uncomfortable silence replaced the air as soon as he couldn't hear his sigh anymore.

"Sir?"

"Ah!"

Sora stumbled backwards and fell onto his elbows. He winced in pain and looked up.

A pair of green orbs returned his glance, blinking in surprise.

"A-are you ok, sir?"

It was a maid.

_Just a maid._

Sora nodded as he started to get up, only to realize that his right arm was throbbing and felt like fire against his skin. A drop of blood splattered on the white, marble floor. He cringed as the girl jumped and ran towards him.

"Oh, no! I am terribly sorry! I'll get a nurse right away!"

The maid frantically clutched her apron and sprinted down the hall, her shoes furiously clunking against the floor.

Sora's eyes widened.

"No! It's okay! Come back here!"

The maid slowed down and peered back, her eyes filled with tears. She hesitated and then reluctantly walked back to Sora.

"I'm sorry, sir," she mumbled, twisting a lock of brown hair with her fingers and staring at her shoes.

"No, don't be. I was just a bit frightened, that's all," Sora said reassuringly. "And the name's Sora."

The maid nodded.

"Is there anything I can help with, Sora sir?"

Sora let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed his arm, the pain becoming a dull throb now.

"Please drop the sir, and I'll appreciate it if you took me to the kitchen."

The girl smiled as if she finally found something she can do.

"Right this way!"

"Thanks…uh…"

Sora stared at the maid, waiting for her to reply.

The girl looked back at him, her head cocked to one side.

"Yes?"

"What's your name?"

"Olette," the girl replied, smiling.

"Thanks, Olette," Sora finished.

The girl nodded and made a small curtsy. She folded her hands in front of her apron (a bit greyer than the other maids) and started to lead the way.

x.x.x

"I'm sure it was this way…"

"I think we're lost."

The maid jerked her head around and a flash of anger and annoyance crossed her face.

"I don't need your rude comments right now; let me _concentrate_."

The brunette had stopped adding the _sir_ after every single sentence after the two have been roaming around the house for a good fifty minutes.

Sora raised a brow as he leaned against the white walls, amused by the maid's "concentrating" expression. Her hair, which was supposed to be tied up in a bun like the other maids, was loose and wavy, framing her small face. Her emerald eyes were veiled, shutting her brain from the outside world. After several minutes, a smile spread across her face as she turned to Sora.

"I know what happened."

Sora nodded, urging her to go on.

"We are on the fourth floor right now, right?" she said excitedly.

The brunette nodded again.

"Well, the kitchen is on the _second_ floor," she concluded.

Sora's shoulder sagged and his mouth dropped open.

"Second floor? You're telling me that we've been walking around for an hour, looking for a room that was two floors below us?"

Olette nodded, her face dead serious. Sora would've laughed if it wasn't for this current situation.

"Yes."

Sora ran his hand through his hair, only to trigger another shock of pain through his elbow to the tip of his fingers.

"Let's go. Where's the elevator?"

Olette looked at Sora, her eyes wide.

"We have an elevator?"

x.x.x

The two brunettes were finally able to locate the hidden kitchen and sat themselves down on the various stools, tuckered out.

"Olette, you're new, huh?" Sora asked, panting.

The girl nodded, too tired to speak.

Sora searched for a clock and found a white simple one above the maid's head. The hands indicated that it was a quarter to three.

Impossible.

Olette caught Sora's confused expression and her face fell as well. She rubbed her head as she walked over to the clock and took it off the wall. She moved the hand an hour back and hooked it back onto its nail. She looked at Sora and smiled sheepishly.

"Daylight saving time started days ago, right?"

"There you guys are!"

Sora turned around to see Kairi walk into the kitchen. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a normal t-shirt, nearly not as elegant as the skirt and blouse she had on earlier.

"Hello, _mistress_." Olette bowed.

Sora couldn't help but catch a rather poking tone in Olette's voice.

Kairi giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Olette, stop that."

The brunette giggled and gave Kairi a bear hug.

"I was just _kidding_," Olette said cheerfully.

Kairi caught Sora's confused expression and smiled.

"Olette's a friend of mine. She's staying here while her parents are making a documentary in Hollow Bastion, and she insisted on helping out."

_That explains a lot_.

Olette nodded.

"You probably I thought I was mentally challenged or something, huh?"

Sora rubbed the back of his head and a guilty smile adorned his lips. That's when Kairi noticed his injured elbow.

"Sora! What happened to you?"

The boy looked at his arm, and raised a brow. The blood had dried up, but drops of red were still seeping through.

"Hold on, let me get you a band-aid; lunch can wait."

Kairi got up, ready to leave. Olette quickly stopped her friend with a light touch on the wrist.

"No, I'll go get it."

The cheery atmosphere in the warm kitchen immediately disappeared as the bright girl left the room.

Sora, feeling rather awkward, cleared his throat and looked at Kairi.

"What school do you go to?" he asked.

While finding the kitchen with Olette for nearly an hour, he had decided to break out of his shell and try being initiative for once in his life.

Kairi smiled.

"I'm home-schooled."

"Oh."

Obviously, this whole initiative thing was going to take a while.

Sora scowled to himself and decided to look down at his shoes. To his horror, they were filthy.

"Yeah, I'm never really out."

Sora glanced up at her.

"What about that one time at the park?"

"That was like a once in a lifetime thing." Kairi chuckled. Then her eyes turned wide.

"Oh! Rina!"

The brunette raised a brow.

"Rina?"

"Arf!"

Sora whipped his head around and cracked into a smile as the small cow-like dog bounded towards him and jumped onto his lap.

"Dawn!" Sora blurted out.

The canine seemed to smile as she furiously wagged her tail and gave her previous master's friend a couple of her trademark kisses.

"Aww, I missed you, girl!"

Sora ruffled Dawn's, now Rina, fur with his good hand and was surprised to find it silky smooth. She also bore a silver collar with her name engraved in elegant letters. Small, precious jewels were also pounded into the collar. He was able to recognize an emerald, ruby, diamond, and a sapphire. With his small knowledge with stones, he wasn't able to recall the names of the other five rounded jewels. Sora turned to Kairi, who seemed pleasantly surprised to see how much joy her dog was bringing to the boy.

"Wow, this must have cost a fortune."

Slightly flushing red, Kairi let out a small laugh.

"Actually, it was a present from Riku. To tell you the truth, I think it's rather comical."

Kairi opened her arms to let Rina come skipping to her.

"She's like a little clown with that goofy grin of hers and that awful collar."

As if on cue, Olette came crashing into the kitchen and sent a couple of pans rolling down the aisles of bread and pastries.

"I got the kit!"

She ran towards Sora and smiled, beaming with pride.

"I got it on my first try, too!"

Kairi carefully took the first-aid kit from Olette's small hands and snapped it open. She took out a bottle of ointment and a couple of band-aids.

"Did you sprain your wrist, too?"

Kairi had already taken out a long strip of cloth before he was able to answer.

Sora's face flushed and his heart started to race as her soft fingers felt around his wrist. He silently watched Kairi as she quickly fixed up the brunette's cuts and bounded his wrist tightly.

"Okay, now that's settled, let's eat!"

The three turned towards the large table-like island in the kitchen and sat on the tall stools. Sora hadn't noticed how hungry he was as Olette set a tray of bread and steaming soup in front of him.

"Hee hee, you like Kairi, huh?" the brunette whispered in Sora's ear before setting off to get her own share of food.

Sora dropped his spoon with a clatter and stared at Olette in surprise.

Olette rolled her eyes and smiled as she sat next to Kairi.

The only male of the trio frowned and picked up his spoon again. Living with that brown-haired girl will be no easy matter.


	5. f i v e

**Living Homeless**

**Author's Notes: **This chapter has been revised on 6/23/10.

* * *

**FIVE**

* * *

"Oy! That's my shoe you're stepping on!"

"No, this is-"

Olette looked down and her eyebrows shot up behind her bangs.

"Oh."

"Oh," echoed Sora as he pushed the brunette out of the way and grabbed his left shoe.

Olette crossed her arms and looked down at Sora, who was desperately trying to tie his shoelaces with a slice of bread blocking his view; he had stuffed it in his mouth as he bent down to finish his last task before delivering the invitations.

Two months had passed since Sora arrived, and Olette had slowly worn away the messenger boy's patience during that time. Her parents stilled haven't returned from Hollow Bastion, and a letter came the other day saying they might complete their documentary in Twilight Town. For what reason, Sora had no clue, for Twilight Town had absolutely no connection to Hollow Bastion.

On a happier note, Sora had passed the stage of awkwardness and turned out to be surprisingly open during the course of the past two months.

Heaving a sigh, Sora jumped up and crammed the rest of the bread into his mouth.

Plus, he was able to see Kairi everyday, which was the only reason why he was able to tolerate Olette. Of course, Riku came in and out of the mansion daily as well, but Sora learned to simply stay away from the arrogant idiot.

Sora double-checked to make sure that all seventy-nine invitations to Mr. Narumi's party were safely nestled in his messenger bag. Finally ready, he walked out the door and towards the golden gates. The morning sun admired itself on the gleaming bars and the elegant N drowning in golden waves.

"Bye, Sora!" Olette yelled.

Sora merely acknowledged her by a lift of his hand. He freed the bike he used to deliver from its chains and got on the leather seat.

The gate before him opened and he pedaled out.

Wind ruffled his hair and tickled his cheeks as he slowly rolled along the streets. He started to pedal faster and faster, and soon, he had to squint his eyes as he headed towards the First District, D1 for short. A blur of blue whizzed by the corner of his eye, which he learned to ignore, for that was where his mom stilled lived. At first, passing that lonely house was a great task; he was paranoid that his mom might want him back home. But the faded curtains were always shut, and soon, forgotten by the boy.

After a couple more minutes of pedaling and fighting the wind, Sora slowed to a stop in front of his first house and walked towards the door at a smart pace.

"Thirty-four, thirty-four, thirty-four..." he mumbled as his eyes raked over the brass letters nailed on the doors of each identical house.

"Twenty-eight, thirty, thirty-two..."

Sora smiled.

"Thirty-four."

He walked up the steps, and the door banged open before he had the chance to ring the doorbell.

"Hi, hi, how do you do. Is that for me?"

A mousy, urgent-looking woman with half-moon glasses grabbed the silver envelope from Sora's hands. She quickly read the address, nodded, and slammed the door shut.

A few seconds later, the door opened again and the woman poked her head out.

"Why are you still here?" she asked, her green eyes peering over her spectacles.

Sora's hands were still in the position of handing the envelope to the woman. It took a while for him to finally realize that she was asking him a question.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry. I was on my wa-"

"Mom!"

Sora saw a girl walk towards the door through the small opening.

"Why are you so paranoid? Nobody's going to assassinate you, ok? You're not even that important."

The woman seemed shock.

"Selphie, I happen to be a writer. A very famous writer."

The girl had "_so what_?" slapped across her face.

"And I'm writing the last and final novel for my series, dear! Don't you know that? There are some people out there who do not want me to complete my series. Do you know why?"

"Because it's going to be the number one best-seller and all the other books will be pushed far back on the shelves," Selphie recited.

Sora had the feeling she said it many times before. Selphie then looked straight at him, which caused him to take a step back.

She walked closer to the door and opened it a bit farther.

"I'm sorry, my mom's just a bit obsessed with herself at the moment." She gave a small smile.

"Oh, no problem." Sora returned her smile.

"Well, thanks for the letter. Good-bye."

"Bye," Sora said as the door shut in front of him.

He headed towards the bike and looked for the next house.

x.x.x

"Wow, that one's just sizzling hot, Kairi!"

"Oh, shut up, Olette," Kairi replied, blushing. She glanced up at Riku, who was swallowing her figure from the corner of the room, looking at every inch of her body. Kairi shuddered and turned away from him.

Instead, she turned the mirror and admired the dress, turning this way and that.

"But..."

Olette looked up.

"I don't think green is my color, Olette," Kairi finished.

The brunette frowned.

"But it would look perfect on you. It's almost the exact shade as your eyes."

Olette tilted her head to one side and looked at the dress for a while.

"Yeah, maybe."

"_Yeah_, not maybe."

Olette smiled.

"I think I liked that white one I wore before," Kairi said as she dug through the pile of clothes lying in a heap on her bed.

"Nah, that one makes you look like a bride. We need to save that for later." Olette winked.

Kairi flushed as she glanced at Riku again. His aquamarine eyes were still piercing through her, and it seemed like he enjoyed every second of it.

"Th-then what aboutˇ"

"This one?" Olette finished. She was holding up a deep red, sleeveless gown. It was rather simple and a bit revealing.

Kairi hesitated.

"I don't knowˇ"

"Try it on," Olette demanded.

Kairi took the dress and stepped into the closet once more. After a few minutes, she walked out, which looked more like a waltz by the way her dress rippled through the air.

"Wow," Olette said, her green eyes sparkling.

"It's beautiful, Kairi," she sighed. Her hands were clasped together as if in prayer.

Kairi raised a brow.

"You're just saying that 'cause it matches my hair color, doesn't it?"

Olette nodded, tears in her eyes.

Kairi laughed and rolled her eyes in a friendly way.

"You're such a drama queen."

There was a brief knock on the door before it swung open.

"Girl, are you here?"

Sora stepped in and looked around. As soon as his eyes fell on Kairi, his mouth dropped open and his cheeks turned pink.

"Oh, hey, Sora," Olette greeted.

"Hello," Kairi said with a smile.

Sora stood there, mesmerized by the girl before him. A stuffy silence settled over them, until Riku coughed loudly.

As if snapped awake, Sora finally tore his eyes away from Kairi and looked down on the floor.

"S-sorry, I was looking for Rina."

"She's taking a bath downstairs," Olette answered before Kairi opened her mouth.

Sora glanced at Olette and looked at her as if seeing her for the first time.

"Oh, thanks," he mumbled.

"Kairi's really pretty, isn't she? I want her to look good in front of her husband-to-be," Olette teased.

Sora scowled.

"There she goes again."

"Wow, I still can't believe you're getting married, Kai."

Kairi rubbed her left arm, obviously uncomfortable.

That was the problem with Olette; she would never shut up about Kairi's marriage. At least five times a day, she would mention that horrible "wonderful and ceremonious event that would change Kairi and Riku's lives forever."

It made him sick to the stomach.

Sora looked up at Kairi, not bothering to disguise the hurt in his eyes.

"Yeah, me neither," he whispered. It was directed more to himself than Olette.

Somehow, he hated for knowing that Kairi would walk down that aisle leading straight to Riku in less than half a year.

Why him? Of all the decent guys in the world, why was it Riku?

"_For m__on__ey__ and good family ties, obviously,"_ a voice answered in his head.

Resisting a sigh, Sora gave a small smile to Kairi and left the room.

Olette looked at the place where the brown-haired and blue-eyed boy was standing a few seconds ago. She turned her gaze to the pile of dresses, a depression settling over her.

He just didn't get it.

x.x.x

Dusti placed his elbow on his knee and leaned on his palm while staring at the crackling fire. He grabbed one of the branches thrown in a pile and starting poking at the flames.

"Don't play with fire."

Dusti looked up.

"You'll pee in your pants if you do," said Yuffie as she dropped the pile of firewood she had found.

He merely shrugged and continued to watch the branch burn as he said "The entire world's my public bathroom anyway."

Yuffie sat on the log opposite to Dusti and looked at him with a sad smile.

"He won't forget us, Dusti," Yuffie said softly.

"Who said I was thinking about Sora?" Dusti snapped.

An artificial expression of surprise slapped across Yuffie's face.

"You were thinking of Sora? I was talking about Wakka!"

Flushing red, Dusti went back to watching the branch fall apart, helpless against the roaring fire.

The two friends watched the fire lick away the branch in silence. After a couple minutes, it finally gave up and fell into the center of the fire as ashes. That was when Wakka came running towards them with a huge backpack hanging from his broad shoulders.

"Dusti! Yuffie!" He shouted.

The owners of the names looked up in surprise.

Wakka reached them, and his words fought his pants as he tried to tell them his news.

"He-_gasp_-finally-_gasp_-sent-_gasp_-it-_gasp_-to-_gasp_-us."

The boy crumbled to the floor and breathed hard. He shrugged off the backpack and grabbed a bottle of water from one of its many pockets.

Yuffie's eyes widened.

"You-you got bottled water?"

Wakka nodded as he gulped the precious liquid.

"And, by he, you mean..." Yuf paused. "Sora?"

Another nod.

Yuffie glanced at Dusti, whose expression had not changed since Stick arrived.

"And you bought all that," she pointed at the bag, "with that money?"

"Yah."

The girl gasped. She ran over to the bag and unzipped it. An avalanche of wrapped packages of food, toiletries, clothes, shoes, and even a new blitz ball poured out of the opening as if they were gasping for air in the crammed bag. Bottles of water were stuffed in every other pocket.

"You were able to purchase all this?"

"There's more." Wakka grinned.

He retraced the path he ran down just a few minutes ago and came back with a large box.

"It's a tent," he said excitedly.

Yuf screamed in delight and tackled Stick, who embraced her in a bear hug.

"Shut up."

Surprised, Yuffie and Wakka looked up at Dusti.

"How did you get that money?" he demanded.

Stick sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, um. You know that nice restaurant owner? I was stopping by for a meal, and he had a letter and a package for me. The letter was short, it just said "I hope you guys are doing well." But the package..."

A dreamy smile adorned Stick's lips.

"There was so much money. Curos really is a great kid, ya? He must've given us every cent."

"See? He hadn't betrayed us," Yuffie chimed in.

Dusti scowled.

Yuffie turned to Wakka.

"What's left of the package?"

Stick smiled. He dug through the pockets of his pants and finally handed a large sack to Yuffie's outstretched hands.

She opened it up, the money inside tinkling as she did so. Stick's smile grew wider as Yuf's opened mouth grew bigger and bigger.

"Tha-that's more money than I had ever owned in my life-and I'm talking about when I still had a home and a family."

The last word seemed to be choked out.

"I can't believe this."

Wakka and Yuffie looked at Dusti; they had forgotten about him.

"What is there not to believe? Sora did tell you that he was going to get us the money, didn't he?"

Dusti kicked a patch of dirt and his hands closed into angry fists.

"He betrayed us. He left us, Yuffie."

"To get us the money so we can actually live!"

Yuffie thrust the bag aside and stood up, glaring down at Dusti.

"For once in my life I want to actually be able to buy the things I want. I want to be like other girls. I want to wear decent clothes, eat decent food, and at least sleep under a roof that isn't made out of cardboard."

Tears blurred her eyes and her lips trembled.

"And Sora. He actually gave me the chance to live that life. But you."

She jabbed a finger towards his direction.

"You're all about staying together. "Oh, staying together is the most important thing in the world" "If we don't stay together, we're not family." Family this, family that—I'm sick of it. My dad," she obviously brought out the word with great difficulty, "lived two worlds away from us to find a job, and he sent every penny he earned to us because we were his family, and THAT'S what Sora is doing for us right now; sending everything he's earning to us. Why? Because he actually cares about us. Unlike you who just grumbles all day long like some old geezer while we try to make the best of it."

Dusti opened his mouth, but Yuffie beat him to it.

"Don't you start talking about Dawn again! Having no-_no tool_ for stealing food is no excuse for not being able to get any."

"Dawn was not a tool!" Dusti shouted. He was on his feet as well.

"Then what was she, family?" Yuffie scoffed. "I guess she isn't any more, right?" Her voice was as thick and cold as ice. "'Cause she's not with us either."

Dusti's froze, and he stared at Yuf as she disappeared into the abandoned school.

x.x.x

"The party's tomorrow."

Sora glanced at Olette, who was washing the dishes. He turned back to his plate and stabbed a piece of steak.

"Yeah."

Olette finished the last plate and wiped her wet hands on her apron. She walked over to the table and sat on the chair facing Sora.

For a few moments, only the sound of Sora's chewing filled the room.

"You still like her, don't you?"

Sora nearly choked on his water. He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.

"Don't even try denying it, Sora."

The boy obeyed and stabbed his fork into a piece of salad.

"Why do you even care?" he asked.

Olette looked at him for a long time, the green piercing the blue. It was as though she were trying to pour out all her thoughts, all her desires, into his mind. Heaving a sigh, she looked away.

"She's getting married, you know."

Sora slapped down his fork.

"Why do you keep stating the fact? I know Kairi's getting married. I know Riku's never going to let her go. I know she'll never love me back!"

Stunned, Olette looked at Sora again.

He just grabbed his fork and started stuffing the rest of the steak in his mouth, not bothering to cut it to bite-sized pieces.

The brunette stood up.

"By 'Kairi is getting married', I'm telling you to 'Let her go.'"

She silently walked out of the kitchen.

Sora stopped chewing and stared down at his plate. He didn't think he could swallow anymore.


End file.
